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Title: Mirror Mirror: A Novel by Gregory Maguire ISBN: 0-06-039384-X Publisher: Regan Books Pub. Date: 14 October, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.29 (24 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: '...shadows offer more.'
Comment: Gregory Maguire states in his most recent adult fable; Mirror, Mirror, that the 'light catches our eyes, but shadows offer more'. Perhaps he should have pulled his story from the shadows, because this one is certainly lacking.
Don't get me wrong, I really love this man's writing style, and his prose....his imagination is incredible; his ability to re-tell an age old story and breath fresh life into it is amazing. Snow White; Renaissance Italy; the Seven Dwarves, and all the lore that goes along with them;...a magic mirror, poisoned apples, and Lucrezia Borgia as the Wicked Queen of this tale? WOW!!!!!
So; why is it less than 300 pages long?
I loved every word of this book...I loved the concept...I loved the twist on the Snow White tale...I loved the literary liberties Maguire took....it isn't what IS there that I didn't love...it's what ISN'T there....
Bianca De Nevada is the consummate Snow White...innocent, beautiful, obedient...Lucrezia Borgia as the 'wicked queen' is perfectly cast....and the supporting characters are equally as likeable...there just isn't enough of them...
I don't think it necessary to take up space with a 'synopsis' of the Snow White story...it's been around for years...and I highly recommend further reading on the Borgias...there is a wonderful study of them called 'The Fall of the House of Borgia' by E.R. Chamberlain if you can get your hands on it.
But Maguire's re-telling has left a lot to be desired...granted it is his story, not mine, but....with such a wonderful cast to work with, and so much story...this is a feeble offering at best.
HOWEVER...if you are a Maguire fan...read this book...his story-telling capabilities are in full bloom...just hope that next time he gives you a little more of what you love.
Rating: 4
Summary: The fairest of the fair.
Comment: Mirror, Mirror is a twist on the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. As with Maguire's previous works, reading Mirror, Mirror is easier when you leave your pre-conceived notions of the story behind you. The only familiarity to Snow White, for the first half of the book, is Bianca de Nevada's name being translated, her appearance and the treasure of a mirror found at the bottom of a lake. This can be frustrating at first and the smallest similarity seems like a blessing, a familiarity. You look for them even when you know they are not there.
Bianca (Snow White) is merely a child at the birth of the story. She spends her days at her father's homestead of Montefiore with Primavera, the cook, Fra Ludivico, the priest and the Gooseboy. Not knowing or wanting a bigger world than this, it is an obvious shock when Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia arrive late one afternoon. Cesare and Lucrezia are the children of the late Roman Pope. Their relationship with Vicente de Nevada (Bianca's father) is unveiled later in the story. Cesare is both a religious and villainous man. He relates a tale to Vicente about the lost branch of the original Tree of Knowledge that Adam and Eve feasted from at the beginning of time. He has heard that the branch still exists and is hidden far away. He requires Vicente to retrieve it for him while he goes on to fight in one of his many wars. Vicente does not want to go, does not want to leave Montefiores nor Bianca. However, Cesare is not one to ask a favour, he demands Vicente partake on this journey or lose everything. Reluctantly, Vicente departs in the knowledge that the untrustworthy Lucrezia will be taking care of his beloved daughter.
The real story of Snow White, of course doesn't begin until Vicente has left and Lucrezia pays Ranccio (Primavera's son) to get rid of Bianca. It is here that we can flash back to our Disney-drawn memories of the hunter dragging the doe-eyed Snow White into the woods.
As I don't wish to give anymore of the plot away, I cannot tell you who, what, why or how the Seven Dwarves come about. Mostly because in this story there are Eight. Yes, they do take care of Bianca as she takes care of them, but the feel and actual idea of "care" are twisted and ultimately a surprise. The dwarves, of course, were my favourite characters in the story as they are nothing but contradictions. Simple yet complex. Old yet ageless. Empathetic yet uncaring. Human yet stone! They bring the story to life in a number of ways and the world of Montefiore would not be the same without them.
If you love fairy tales, and have read Maguire's previous works, you will warm to this story (eventually). If you haven't a care for fairy tales, it is still worth giving the book a try as it could ultimately be captivating for history aficionados, thrill seekers or terror lovers alike.
Rating: 2
Summary: good start, bad finish
Comment: i read wicked and stepsister and fell in love with this author. i read lost, and got a disappointing wake up call -- i bought this one hoping for a return to form... the first half is full of wonderful descriptions and well formed characters. i loved it. i couldn't wait for the fairy tale to begin once all the subplots were in place: then it happened. the second half of this book. wow. it's almost like someone else wrote the last portion. i think i missed the point of the dwarves altogether, which is upsetting, because i genuinely wanted to like them. i did appreciate the mix of history with fairy magic; however, the narrative was right on the point of taking off when it simply didn't. i can still hope for a return to form, can't i?
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Title: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister : A Novel by Gregory Maguire ISBN: 0060987529 Publisher: Regan Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 2000 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire ISBN: 0060987103 Publisher: Regan Books Pub. Date: 06 November, 1996 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Lost: A Novel by Gregory Maguire ISBN: 0060988649 Publisher: Regan Books Pub. Date: 17 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: The Dream Stealer by Gregory Maguire, Diana Bryan ISBN: 0618181881 Publisher: Clarion Books Pub. Date: 21 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title:Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B0000TB01Y Publisher: Decca Pub. Date: 16 December, 2003 List Price(USD): $18.98 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $13.49 |
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